The present invention pertains to electrically operated, remote-controlled lamps capable of being selectively pointed in a plurality of horizontal and vertical orientations.
As discussed in U.S. Pat. No. RE29,266 entitled MOTOR CONTROLLED LAMP, reissued Jun. 14, 1977 (hereinafter referred to as the ""266 patent), a number of applications exist where it is desirable to mount an adjustable lamp, such as a floodlight, searchlight, or spotlight, upon a vehicle, boat or other installation whereby the lamp may be remotely operated such that the light beam can sweep both horizontally and vertically. Spotlights for automobiles, for instance, have long been available wherein the control mechanism for the spotlight passes through a windshield pillar or wall of the vehicle passenger compartment and protrudes into the compartment, wherein the control handle is accessible to the occupant. However, it is often desired to place an adjustable lamp at a location remote from the cab of a vehicle, or at the bow or stern of a boat. This type of installation usually calls for an electrically controlled lamp in that other types of lamp control are difficult to install when the control apparatus is spaced more than a few feet from the lamp itself.
According to the prior art, the problem of protecting the connecting cables to the lamp and motor drives is normally accomplished by stop limits or other clutch means to prevent the cabling from being damaged as the motor is driven beyond the limits of the cabling configuration.
For example, the ""266 patent teaches a motor controlled lamp. In this patent there is described a lamp being controllable from a remote location utilizing a pair of reversible electrical motors which are mounted within the lamp housing. Friction clutch means are included between the gears and the associated components. The arrangement requires stop means relating to the vertical axis of adjustment. Although the arrangement as disclosed in the ""266 patent does not require conductor rings and brushes, it does require the use of friction clutch means and stop means to accomplish the adjustment of the lamp and limitation of movement in the vertical and horizontal directions.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,930,057 entitled SEARCHLIGHT DRIVE MEANS AND APPARATUS (hereinafter referred to as the ""057 patent) addresses shortcomings of the ""266 patent device and teaches a searchlight in which a lamp is mounted in a lamp housing for horizontal movement, vertical drive means is also mounted within the lamp housing for vertically driving the lamp. A base thereof mounts the lamp housing and a horizontal drive means drives the lamp and lamp housing in a horizontal plane less than 360 degrees.
The ""057 patent invention provides a reversible drive in which a gear having less than 360 degrees of gear teeth, and a ramp portion at the end of each of the gear teeth is engaged by a pinion which is selectively reversed so that the pinion drives the gear in one direction until the pinion reaches the ramp portion, and continues to rotate in the one direction until it is reversed to move down the ramp portion and drive the gear in the other opposite direction.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a simplified searchlight which can be mounted either horizontally or vertically, and yet provide mobility in both the horizontal and vertical directions.
A light beam emitting device including: a housing including first and second ends; a window in the first end of the housing; a lamp disposed within the housing so as to emit light through the window; a post; and, a positioning apparatus secured to the post and within the body, the positioning apparatus including: a first motor operable to rotate the housing in a first plane with respect to the post, and a second motor operable to pivot the housing in a second plane with respect to the post.